The man behind Family Guy offers (hungover) knowledge on religious fanaticism, the (hungover) origins of his name, Dr. Drew, and his new spin-off, The Cleveland Show

Seth MacFarlane is the creator of Family Guy and cocreator of American Dad, two of the biggest hits Fox has ever had. His newest, The Cleveland Show (Sundays at 8:30 P.M. on Fox), a Family Guy spin-off about the black neighbors, premieres September 27. After showing up late for a Sunday brunch at Nate 'n Al's deli in Beverly Hills, MacFarlane ordered an American-cheese omelet and chocolate-chip pancakes.

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ESQUIRE: You're an hour late. I hope you have a good excuse.

SETH MACFARLANE: Sorry, I drank too much and I overslept. I'm a 35-year-old man. It's a horrible excuse.

ESQ: I drank too much last night, too, but I managed to get here on time. So tell me about The Cleveland Show.

SM: [Snoring noises.]

ESQ: Wake up.

SM: Well, The Cleveland Show is a spin-off.

ESQ: Like The Jeffersons?

SM: Yes, it's our Jeffersons. The show is meant to be sort of a showcase for [Family Guy writer and voice actor and white person] Mike Henry, whom I've known since college. He cocreated it. His comedy is very unique.

ESQ: How so?

SM: He grew up in Virginia, so he's got that background. He really understands the, uh, the nature of the, uh —

ESQ: Stupid hick? Speaking of which, I see you've recently become rather vocal about your atheism. Isn't it antithetical to make public proclamations about secularism?

SM: We have to. Because of all the mysticism and stuff that's gotten so popular.

ESQ: But when you wave banners, how does it differ from religion?

SM: It's like the civil-rights movement. There have to be people who are vocal about the advancement of knowledge over faith.

ESQ: Right, but I think I'll still try The Secret. Oprah raves about it.

SM: I can't make any distinction in my mind between her and Dr. Phil.

ESQ: Why would you? I distrust all television doctors.

SM: Dr. Drew is the one guy —

ESQ: Dr. Drew is the most dangerous man in America.

SM: I think he's the real deal. He lacks an arrogance that the others have. I think his conscience is intact.

ESQ: You don't think Dr. Drew sits in production meetings all day long and talks about how best to advance the Jeff Conaway story arc? You think that's in the Hippocratic oath somewhere?

SM: I've never seen that show. I do Loveline a lot, and I see his dedication to his practice. He's such a nice guy.

ESQ: Oh, well, never mind. He's nice to you when you do Loveline.

SM: I'll tell you what I think is not okay. Have you ever seen that show on MSNBC, Lockup? It's a reality show that takes place inside a prison. Do the prisoners have to sign release forms? Or do they have to be on it whether they like it or not?

SM: There's no such thing as colors. It's just which parts of the spectrum are reflected against our retinas.

ESQ: I'll just put "blue." Is it rude to call animation cartoons?

SM: Only if you're insecure.

ESQ: How much do you weigh?

SM [laughing]: I hover somewhere between 180 and 185.

ESQ: What's your middle name?

SM: Woodbury.

ESQ: How New England.

SM: That's what we thought. A lot of the men on my mother's side of the family had the middle name Woodbury, and about ten years ago we asked my grandfather where it came from, and he said that when he was born in Gardiner, Maine, in 1904, his mother thought that the town drunk was the funniest guy she'd ever met, and his name was Woodbury, so we're all named after not just a drunk, but a jolly turn-of-the-century drunk.

ESQ: Would you say that you're a jolly turn-of-the-century drunk?

SM: Hey! Way to bring that one around!

ESQ: Thanks. What's your sign?

SM: Well, that's a complex question. If you want to pretend for a moment that astrology isn't complete bullshit, when astrology was conceived, something like 2,000 years ago — I learned this from Carl Sagan —

ESQ: Noted atheist.

SM: Noted atheist, optimist, and essential popularizer of science, and we need another one of them.

ESQ: Your beloved Dr. Drew?

SM: Maybe. When astrology was conceived, all of the celestial bodies were in different places. So if you're a Sagittarius now, I guess you would have been a Capricorn 2,000 years ago.

ESQ: You're the first person I've ever asked that of, so you must feel honored.